Slow And Steady (Dragonfly #6)

Forrgotten Truth

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Jaysen
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    "What did you just say?" I said slowly.

    Jelu took a deep breath. "I'm your brother, aren't you happy?"

    I sucked in a huge breath and tried to stop my limbs from shaking. "No, in fact, I don't believe you at all."

    "But's it's true, my parents- our parents, told me so, Suka told me. She said it was okay to tell you once I met you." His voice sounded so hopeful.

    "My parents, are DEAD!" I shrieked angrily, "and I do not have a brother!"

    I whipped around furiously and took off into the air. Zach yelled my name but I didn't care. How dare he mention them, how dare he claim to be related to me.

    I yelped as I hit a tree and fell, slamming the ground with a solid thwack. I clenched my eyes shut and moaned wearily. The whole world seemed to be spinning and I was getting dizzy. Then jumped to my feet again As I became aware I could see.

    For a moment I thought maybe my trip into the tree had somehow restored my sight, until I remembered the exact details of my condition. I no longer had pupils, and a very weak corona. No amount of head whacking could bring that back.

That must mean I was back in Glamora.

"Ugh." I sighed into the bushes around me. "Try warning me next time."

The thicket rattle a bit and suddenly I was caught up in the warm and comforting embrace of a claw I knew very well. She smelled like honeysuckle and I leaned into her embrace.

"Hey mom." I greeted, then ended the hug fiercely.

"Wait a second, I have a brother? You could have mentioned that YEARS ago!" I pouted.

She winced. And my dad slid out of the bracken behind her with a hard-set look on his face.

"We wanted to, oh Glamora we wanted to." She cried. "But you were so young when we were alive, it wouldn't have been right, and you can't just go in and out of Glamora as you please these days there's so much traffic!"

"But still, it hurts." I breathed.

"Jay Bird, baby." She pleaded, using my old kitten nickname. "Please try to understand, we thought Jelu was dead."

"What?" I asked, generally confused. "How did he end up with humans?"

"He was our first kit." Dad rumbled. "He was born early, outside in the ice and snow. He got sick easily and there just wasn't enough time to bring him to the Hill, nobody else knew about him but us. We were sure he was dead and buried him out there. It broke your mother's heart."

"That's why we named him Jelu, it means glacier in the ancient language. We saw a different path for you and named you healer." Mom explained, her ice blue eyes flashing.

"And I saved him." Called a new voice. The giant tiger padded into our little pow wow, bringing the cold biting air with her. "I scooped up that little kit and froze him in the ice until his time was right. For he was born two years early, technically he's sixteen, but he's got the mind of a fourteen year-old who wants his family."

"Great, not only do I have a brother but he's older than me." I let out a disappointed a breath.

"Just give him a chance." Mom rested her chin on my forehead, and I suppressed the need to bury myself in her fur and cry my problems away. That was not the reputation I had built. But her eye bore into me and I suddenly felt guilty for leaving so rashly.

"Fine." I agreed.

They smiled so warmly is instantly felt secure in my choice. After all, an older brother can't be that bad right? I mean, technically I'm the older one, I'll have to teach him everything. This can't be that hard.

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